It’s still wrong that it’s not called Miniskirt Space Pirates though.
Bodacious Space Pirates: Abyss of Hyperspace follows up the anime series, so this is essentially a sequel to that. The film is still regulated to Japan however, so we Western people will have to deal with Seven Seas releasing the manga worked on by Chibimaru. While we got the perspective of Marika learning how to become a space pirate in the anime, this time we get to see how other people view her and how she acts as the leader of the Bentenmaru.
At least, that’s what Tatsuo Sato said an interview at the end of this volume; a boy named Kanata Mugen is actually the one whose perspective we should follow as he ends up getting “abducted” by the Bentenmaru crew. At the same time, he’s hiding a secret from them while being chased by enemies in suits.
I’m not sure I’m into what Sato’s selling here. A decent portion of Volume 1 is spent on Marika trying to balance her school life with pirate life (and the fact that she can only work until a certain amount of time because she’s 17), and Kanata’s issues are put in with little explanation as to why he’s being chased. He might be someone important, he might just have stolen something, but his reasons don’t seem all that important right now. But with it being a two volume series, I guess we’ll find out.
While I don’t mind the character designs, the art when it comes to doing almost anything else doesn’t stand out. With a large cast that’s probably expected, but disappointing. I don’t think this is friendly to those who haven’t watched the anime. So if you did watch the anime, this should work out for you. If not, only if you’re starved for space fiction should you take a chance on space pirates wearing miniskirts.